1. What is Capacitance?

Capacitance is the ability of a capacitor to store electrical energy in an electric field. It is measured in farads (F) and represents the ratio of electric charge stored to the voltage applied.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the fundamental capacitance formula:

Where:

• \( C \) — Capacitance in farads (F)
• \( Q \) — Electric charge in coulombs (C)
• \( V \) — Voltage in volts (V)

Explanation: This formula shows that capacitance is directly proportional to the amount of charge stored and inversely proportional to the voltage across the capacitor.

3. Importance of Capacitance Calculation

Details: Accurate capacitance calculation is essential for designing electronic circuits, filtering applications, energy storage systems, timing circuits, and power supply designs.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charge in coulombs (C) and voltage in volts (V). Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a farad?
A: A farad is the SI unit of capacitance. One farad is defined as the capacitance that stores one coulomb of charge when one volt is applied.

Q2: What are common capacitor values?
A: Common values range from picofarads (pF) to microfarads (μF). 1 F = 1,000,000 μF = 1,000,000,000,000 pF.

Q3: How does capacitance affect circuit behavior?
A: Capacitance determines how quickly a capacitor charges/discharges, affects frequency response in filters, and stores energy for power backup.

Q4: What factors affect actual capacitance?
A: Temperature, voltage rating, frequency, aging, and physical construction can affect the actual capacitance value in real-world applications.

Q5: When is this formula applicable?
A: This basic formula applies to ideal capacitors. For real capacitors, additional factors like equivalent series resistance (ESR) and leakage current should be considered.